Woman avoids trial with deal in office theft case

April 30, 2008|By Missy Diaz Staff Writer

Six weeks after being slapped with a grand theft charge for allegedly stealing $1,546 from a safe inside the Palm Beach County Tax Collector's Office, a 24-year employee of the agency on Tuesday entered a pretrial intervention program that will result in the charge being dropped.

Marcia Stokes, 56, dabbed tears from her eyes while speaking with her attorney, Glenn Mitchell, following the brief hearing. As part of a deal reached with the state, Stokes did not admit wrongdoing. She is required to perform 15 hours of community service and pay $1,546 in restitution to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, the Boynton Beach charity for whom the stolen money was raised.

As part of a charitable Christmas campaign, staff at the Tax Collector's office chose to donate to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach because many employees have relatives fighting in the war. Staffers sold postcards for $1 to raise the money.

Stokes arrest came after a monthlong investigation. Seven employees of the Tax Collector's office had access to the safe where the money was kept. All of those employees - except one who was on leave and Stokes - submitted to a polygraph test, according to investigators. They also said Stokes recently filed for bankruptcy, was evicted from her mobile home and deposited $1,200 into her bank account about the time money turned up missing from the safe.

Stokes was the administrative secretary for the director of tax services and was paid an annual salary of $53,000, according to Tax Collector Anne Gannon.

Stokes strongly denies taking the money and says she only agreed to take the pretrial intervention offer because she can't afford to take the case to trial, according to her attorney.

"The proof was lacking that Marcia committed the crime," Mitchell said. "They claim she had a motive, but all of the people who had access to the safe had a motive. She wanted to go to court, but it was cost prohibitive."